Week 57 (Oct. 3, 2012)

Fresh out of September DC returns to the present in a line up of #13 issues.  As awesome as it was to go through the exceptional origins provided, its like coming home from vacation and settling back into the familiar and relevant.  So here we go.

• Since its October, Action Comics #13 is a Halloween issue featuring the first exploration of the Phantom Zone by the Super-books.  Writer Grant Morrison shows how the denizens of this temporal area are able to walk our world in complete isolation as ghosts, cut off from most of the senses.  The real heart of the issue comes in the banishment of a rogue Kryptonian scientist, Xa-Du, to the Zone by high councillor of the Science Guild, Jor-El.  As you can imagine, Xa-Du swears vengeance on the House of El.  He nearly accomplishes it on the day of Krypton’s destruction, temporarily escaping the Zone only to be held back from the baby, Kal-El, by the family dog, Krypto, who sadly returns the criminal to the Zone at the cost of his own freedom.  Krypto is the heart of this issue.  In both the main narrative and the backup feature by Sholly Fisch the loyalty and sacrifice of Krypto is highlighted, showing that no matter what planet you live on, a dog will ALWAYS be any man’s (Super or otherwise) best friend.  Krypto is sort of a corny concept in a lot of ways, but if you put a good writer like Grant Morrison or James Robinson on him, that dog can move you to tears.  I’m not the hugest fan this issue’s artist, Travel Foreman, but he did a pretty decent job of rendering the eerie art of this Halloween issue.  I would greatly endorse this book to people the love Superman, but definitely to anyone who loves dogs.
  

  A Boy And His Dog

• Green Lantern #13 was a phenomenal issue on multiple levels.  Following Green Lantern #0, Simon Baz is settling into the brand new role thrust upon him of Green Lantern.  Considering the turbulent events of his life and especially the recent trials and tribulations, this new development is quite overwhelming.  On one level he is forced to deal with being thrust into an intergalactic war against the freedom of individuality that the Guardians of the Universe are waging.  On  another he is forced to deal with his place in a war that the American people and its government is waging on its citizens of Arabic descent and the Islamic faith.  This topic in particular is what makes this new chapter in Green Lantern so intriguing.  On the first level mentioned it is sticking to the superheroic genre that the title is renowned for, yet on the second level it is returning to the hard hitting sociopolitical commentary that made Green Lantern/Green Arrow so incredible in the 60’s/70’s, and really matured DC as a company from kid stuff to poignant literature.  I applaud Geoff Johns for continuing Green Lantern excellence, while rejuvenating the point of superheroes to not only save humanity and America from supervillains, but also from ourselves.  That latter conflict is probably the bitterest struggle.  I was prepared to hate this new Green Lantern, whoever he was, but sonuvagun, I am deeply invested in not only Simon Baz, but also his sister, Sira, and his entire family.  So one hand is giving you a thumbs up, Mr. Johns.  A BIG thumbs up. The other hand is giving you a thumbs down, because true to your other work, the Justice League makes an appearance at the end.  Just as they are portrayed in their own title, they are shortsighted, elitist, sucker-punching douchebags.  I love Superman.  I love Aquaman. I love Wonder Woman.  I DO NOT like them the way Johns is currently writing them.
  

  A Message From His Predecessors

• Detective Comics #13 was an introductory issue to the next regime of this title.  Writer/artist Tony Daniel is succeeded by writer John Layman and artist Jason Fabok.  Fabok’s art is phenomenal, intricate, and clean, so his contribution to the title is definitely a selling point.  Layman’s writing is very concise and well detailed, and I enjoy reading it.  However, I am uncertain where he is taking the story.  Batman is led on an elaborate goose chase around Gotham, while a hit is put out on Bruce Wayne by the Penguin.  The story has possibilities, but the endgame is kind of hazy.  Since its a first issue I won’t be too picky, but still its hard to gauge whether or not to proceed with the title from the information given.  In the backup feature we get a close up on one of the Penguin’s goons, Ogilvy, and his philosophy on how to exist as a hood in Gotham city.  The art is done by the incredible Andy Clarke and is a pleasure to look at, as well as read.  Overall, a decent first outing by the new creative team.
• Before Watchmen: Rorschach #2  improves on the last issue in regards to its main character. Rorschach did not sound as authentic in the first issue, but he sounded and acted authentic in this one.  His clipped sentences and misanthropic statements are all present here in vibrant brevity.  In the first issue he got his ass handed to him by a gang lord known on the streets as Rawhead.  This issue shows Rorschach fighting back with the same ferocity and psychopathic disregard that Alan Moore originally endowed him with in the 80’s.  Despite the first issue introducing a killer of women with a penchant for cutting messages into their dead flesh, that guy wasn’t shown at all in this issue, which makes me wonder how he will figure in, considering that there is only two more issues in this particular series.  Still, I will commend writer Brian Azzarello on his spot on depiction of the title character this month.
• Swamp Thing #13 begins the “Rotworld: Green Kingdom” arc in the title.  Yanick Paquette returns to the title to provide luscious art for what promises to be the most incredible story in Swamp Thing history to date.  After the events of August’s Swamp Thing/Animal Man crossover, a year has passed since Alec Holland and Buddy Baker have descended into the Rot’s domain, attempting to take the fight to them.  Failing, they return only an hour later, to find that the outside world has advanced an entire year and the world at large has been almost completely  overwhelmed by the Rot.  The last defenders of the Green are two: Poison Ivy, which makes sense, and Deadman, which is kind of  strange but totally out of the park.  With their help he is able to commune with the Parliament of Trees and ascertain what has befallen the Earth and what measures might save it.  What is most shocking, shown to us but unbeknownst to Alec, is the fate of Abby Arcane after the events of issue #12.  I am so very excited by this event going on in Swamp Thing and Animal Man.
  

  The Green Kingdom

• Animal Man #13 falls in line with Swamp Thing above, initiating the “Rotworld: Red Kingdom” arc and showing Buddy Baker’s exodus into a decimated world of one year later.  As with Swamp Thing he is greeted by the last champions of the Red.  In this case, he meets three: Beast Boy, which makes sense, Black Orchid, which I am uncertain about considering her seeming connection to plants and not animals, and Steel, which indirectly makes sense because he has become living metal and immune to decay and Rot.  Like the Green, the Red has set up an oasis in the wastelands of Rot, but this one is slightly different as the Parliament of Trees still holds dominion over the Green Kingdom.  In the Red Kingdom, the Totems have sacrificed their sentience to build their haven, robbing Animal Man of the guidance that Alec Holland enjoyed in his title.  Also like Swamp Thing,we are treated to the back story of what happened to Baker’s family in that year gap.  It seems like both titles have been working off of a formula, and I hope that as the “Rotworld” story progresses the titles will interconnect, but veer off and have non-mirroring plots.  I understand the credence behind doing the things in these issues that have been done, but hope that isn’t symptomatic of how the two titles go from here on out.  Still very excited by what they are doing.
  

  The Red Kingdom

• Earth 2 #5 picks up where the last issue left off with the new panoply of “Wonders” meeting for the first time in the National Mall to combat the assaults of Grundy, avatar of the Grey.  Coming off of the two “Rotworld” books above, this issue sort of fell right into place.  The Grey is simply death, not so much decay, but plain withering and lifelessness.  The Green in this title, of which Alan Scott’s Green Lantern is champion, represents all life, both plant and animal.  When Scott makes the Orpheus-like descent into the Grey to commune with its sentience he is shown a very similar relationship as the Parliament of Trees or Parliament of Limbs to their avatars in the two aforementioned books; empowerment, but not control.  Whether or not Grundy follows their dictates, the Grey are not able to stop him.  In the realm of the World Army, much more is revealed about the state of things and how the Earth governments operate after the Apokalips incursion on their world.  I feel that writer James Robinson has scored a home-run on this title.  It is incredible, it is action packed, it follows but is not weighed down by past continuity, and most of all its characters don’t come off as idealized, but rather as real people with real inhibitions, character flaws, and fears.  Nicola Scott on art completes the symphony of storytelling with lustrous artwork.
• Worlds’ Finest #5 follows the conclusion of its first arc and provides an interim story for the time between the first arc and the one beginning next month.  George Perez illustrates the current sequence in the book, as before, but this issue has split the past sequences between Kara’s and Helena’s experiences.  The Kara sequence was drawn by Jerry Ordway and the Helena sequence by Wes Craig.  The Kara plot had her visiting the CERN Super-Collider under the Alps.  This apparatus has the potential to open a portal to Earth-2 if utilized properly.  Another invader similar to Hakkou in its incursion, but dissimilar in appearance, comes out of the portal and seeks to destroy the Collider.  Of course, Power Girl steps in and trashes the invader, but preparations to restart the experiment are put off for several months. The Helena sequence seemed to be just there for filler.  Taking place at a “Take Back the Night” demonstration in the common area of a Boston University, Harvard perhaps, Huntress  nabs a sniper who was taking shots into the crowd.   This one doesn’t seem on the surface to correlate with the future plot of the title, but there is something odd about it.  Firstly, no victims are shown as a result of the sniper’s shots, and secondly he attempts to defend his actions to Huntress, but she cuts him off every time.  In any event, this was an interesting story.  Looking forward to November’s issue featuring the meeting of the children of the Bat: the grown Helena Wayne and the sociopathic ten year old, Damian Wayne.  I know with Paul Levitz writing it that it’ll be stellar.
• Batwing #13 finds Tinasha plagued by a cult lead by an enigmatic figure known as Father Lost.  In his wake Father Lost leaves madness and terror. Beginning with a round of human sacrifices, an African heroine named Dawn is introduced wielding two swords whose blades appear to be composed of pure electricity.  Her costume is minimalistic and but for the swords would almost not even be discernible as a costume: black pants, a field jacket, and what appears to be a red hijab.  Perhaps (and hopefully) we will have another Islamic superhero to add to the growing panoply, following Simon Baz in Green Lantern.  Though little else is revealed about her, she does have a connection to Renee, the slain woman from last month’s zero issue, which may imply a connection between her and David Zavimbe, aka Batwing.   Batwing himself deals with the fallout of Father Lost’s mad design stopping a half  crazed South African general from kamikaze-ing Tinasha with a jet fighter.  Following up, David doubles down when his fellow police officer, Kia Okuru, reveals that her own niece has been abducted.  The issue is high energy and an interesting glimpse into some of the issues plaguing Africa.  I know child soldiers are an issue in Africa today, as are tyrannical regimes sustained by emerging oil production, but I have no idea if cult worship is a major problem.  If it isn’t in real life, it certainly is an interesting calamity in the world of DC’s Africa.
  

  The “Dawn” Of An African Superheroine

• Green Arrow #13  finishes the plot line of issue #12 from August.  Stranded in China with the forces of Chinese businessman, Jin Fang, breathing down his neck, Green Arrow enlists the help of Sino-superheroine, Suzie Ming, to help him not only escape, but exit the country with the controlling shares of his company Fang bought legitimately. Not the best issue, but still pretty good owing to the writing of Ann Nocenti.  Yet again, she writes an entertaining story that depicts Ollie as an Emerald Lothario.
• G.I. Combat #5 has a new feature segment, The Haunted Tank, written by Peter Tomasi and drawn by Howard Chaykin.  In the present era, the eponymous Haunted Tank, possessed by the spirit of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart seeks out his descendant, WWII Army Captain Jeb Stuart, in Detroit Michigan.  Now 98 years old, the two seek out both of their descendant and the current Stuart serving in Afghanistan.  Problem is, Col. Steve Trevor isn’t so happy about his property, i.e. the Tank, wheeling its way out of his Black Room.  Also happening in Detroit, the Unknown Soldier flies to the Motor City to track down a domestic terrorist organization comprised of Gulf Storm POW’s converted to hardline Islamic fundamentalism.  Without spoiling the plot too much: Shit goes down . . .
  

  The Next Generation In the Saga of the Haunted Tank

• Legends of the Dark Knight #1 inaugurates an anthology book that features little vignettes by some of the comic industry’s best talent tackling the Caped Crusader in stories that capture his truly incredible nature.  Starting it off is a tale written by Damon Lindelof (of Lost fame) and drawn by Jeff Lemire featuring Batman being lured into a trap set by a very unlikely foe who knows him better than anyone else . . . In the second, Jonathan Larsen and artist J.G. Jones write a story about Batman facing off against Amazo, the android that has the powers of every single member of the Justice League.  Essentially it boils down to whether or not the Dark Knight can take out his super-powered colleagues singlehandedly.  The final yarn is told by Tom Taylor with art by Nicola Scott, involving Batman proactively preventing crimes, or at least one, from happening.  This one I thought was funny in a meta way, as the author, Tom Taylor, shares a name with a character in the INCREDIBLE Vertigo series, The Unwritten.  In this author Tom Taylor writes about a character named Mike Carey, who shares his name with the writer of the series . . . The Unwritten.  Either a real Tom Taylor is having a laugh, or Mike Carey is writing under a pseudonym.  This little joke was in the back of my mind the whole time I read this piece.  All together these three delivered a sensational anthology that makes me curious if the momentum and ingenuity will continue throughout the other issues.
• Smallville Season 11 #6 features a protracted first meeting of the Man of Steel and Caped Crusader.  Following Batman’s incursion into his city, an influx of Gotham personalities also make appearances in this title which include Mister Freeze and Joe Chill for starters.  The interactions between Batman and Superman seem to be very “realistic”, as such a term can apply.  Bruce enters with a plethora of countermeasures in place to pin down Superman if needs be, and Clark is, as ever, willing to believe the best in everyone, and when his back is up against a wall negotiates with the unruly Gotham vigilante to deescalate the situation.  The two then fall into a quintessential “World’s Finest” relationship.  I very much look forward to seeing what Bryan Q. Miller has in store for both men in the Smallville universe.

This week had a lot of winners in my book, from established books like Action Comics and Green Lantern to new titles like Legends of the Dark Knight. Action Comics #13  is the winner of the week, with the most moving story to date in that title.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of these images and give credit to those whose work they are.

Illustration Credits:

Action Comics #13:  Art by Travel Foreman, Colored by Brad Anderson

Green Lantern #13:  Drawn byDoug Mahnke, Colored by Alex Sinclair & Tony Avina, Inked by Christian Alamy, Mark Irwin, Tom Nguyen, Keith Champagne & Marc Deering

Swamp Thing #13: Art by Yanick Paquette, Colored by Nathan Fairbairn

Animal Man #13: Art by Steve Pugh, Colored by Lovern Kindzierski

Batwing #13: Drawn by Marcus To, Colored by Brian Reber, Inked by Ryan Winn, Richard Zajac, Le Beau Underwood

G.I. Combat #5: Art by Howard Chaykin, Colored by Jesus Aburtov

 

Week 33 (April 18, 2012)

Going into the third week of April I have to say that it was a mixed bag this week.  There was some absolute knockouts that really proved the breadth of comic craft, and then there were some total bombs that I am just uncomfortable having read, knowing that the lack of quality isn’t the writers’ faults entirely (even though it kind of is . . .) .   Well these are my views on what is good and what was lacking.  As ever, if you think I am way off the mark, comment on this post and let me know what I’ve overlooked.  I respect constructive dissension.

• Justice League #8 was absolutely awful.  I’m not even angry anymore by the utter disregard for quality that the creative team of JL are flagrantly exhibiting, just sad.  I’ve moved on to the last stage of grief: acceptance. Everything about every aspect of this book is wrong.  I firmly believe that if you sat down someone who had never read a comic in their lives but had the spark of interest that could be fanned into a blaze of comic loving passion and then gave them a Justice League comic you could permanently kill the chances of them ever wanting to read another comic ever again.  This series is the rat poison of the comic world.  How Geoff Johns can write these awesome characters as such douchebags is beyond me.  I am starting to hate the characters so much and its starting to infect my enjoyment of the stories where they are actually written well.  I know he’s an executive, but Johns needs to get benched ASAP!  He’s doing good on his other series.  Let him stick to what he knows.  He clearly has no clue how to write a decent Justice League story.  Oh. and on a personal note: The inclusion of a sequence with Talons dispatched by the Court of Owls is in BAD TASTE.  Don’t sully a truly awesome thing like “Night of the Owls” by trying to pouch quality for your shitty comic.  That is bad form, Mr. Johns.  BAD FORM!   
• Batman #8 starts up after issue #7’s startling conclusion.  After his battle in the labyrinth with the Court of Owls, Batman is a wreck.  Broken and beaten he retreats to Wayne Manor and from there Scott Snyder portrays a very troubled Batman, and troubled he should be as the Court has not yet finished with him or Gotham.  The true terror of the Court is laid bare and the “Night of the Owls” we have been hearing about is revealed to be much akin to the famous “Night of the Long Knives” in Nazi Germany.  A lot of important people are in the crosshairs and several will be dead by dawn regardless of nay intervention.  Snyder’s plot is executed to perfection and rendered beautifully by series artist Greg Capullo and by Snyder’s long time collaborator on American Vampire, Rafael Albuquerque.  This is the Batman story I’ve been waiting for my whole life, I just didn’t know it until recently.
  

  Alfred Puts Out "The Call"

  
  

• Nightwing #8 follows on the heels of Batman #8, starting off “Night of the Owls” an issue early and really sets the tone for what we can expect next month in the “Night of the Owls” mega crossover.  Writer Kyle Higgins keeps the heat on Dick Grayson after the conclusion last month of the title’s first story arc.  In that issue he revealed that the Talon we have thus far seen in Batman is none other than Dick’s ancestor, William Cobb.  Higgins writes the issue dually from the perspective of Cobb, telling about his childhood and adolescence in the Gotham of 1901, and from Dick’s in the present.  The issue is a fitting companion to what Scott Snyder has set up over the past half year.  The Night of the Owls is upon us.  The call has been put out. “God help us . . .” 
• Green Lantern Corps #8 followed three main events, but was rather hazy about them, introducing but not developing.  The first is the Alpha Lanterns assembling to discuss their mandate: the internal policing of Corpsman.  The second was the Guardians offering Guy Gardner what seems to be a very peculiar offer that I doubt is on the level.  Thirdly, John Stewart’s continued melancholy and confliction over killing his former colleague in the torture chambers of the “Keepers.”  This issue was like its predecessor, a seeming interim issue, although this one facilitates the coming issue which will be the beginning of the “Alpha War.”  I look forward to it, as this issue was good, but as I alluded, very sparse. 
• Red Hood and the Outlaws #8 was a really outstanding issue that accomplished so much.  It revealed the history behind Jason Todd and Suzie Su’s long standing quarrel as well as his past exploits culling the crime families of Hong Kong.  In the process writer Scott Lobdell defines the nature of Todd as an anti-heroic character.  He puts his neck out to save children from terrorists, but in the process does some very dark things.  Finally, it reestablishes his status as a member of the Bat family, because this issue like Batman #8 and Nightwing #8, is a “Night of the Owls” prelude.  The call goes out from Alfred, and though Starfire and Arsenal know for a fact that the disaffected ex-Robin won’t respond, Jason surprises them both and commits himself to the call.  The reason lies in a past encounter with his successor, Tim Drake, in Metropolis and leads to an inference that Mr. Freeze will be involved.  This issue has its balls-to-the-wall moments alongside some very touching ones.  Damn, I love Scott Lobdell’s storylines.
  

  Jason's R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find Out What It Means To Him.

• Catwoman #8 was another prelude to “Night of the Owls.”  The story was kind of interesting, but not overly.  Apart from developing the character of Spark, I wasn’t very invested in the plot.  A heist is planned against the Penguin, and like Red Hood above, writer Judd Winick infers that Penguin will be the Owl target that Catwoman will be running interference for.  What sets this one apart from the three above Bat-titles, is that Catwoman doesn’t get the call, so  a scene involving the Court of Owls is worked in to clue the readers into the impending connection.  Artist Adriana Melo does make the issue very pretty though, despite the lackluster plotline.
  
• Legion of Super-Heroes #8 was damn good!!!  It might be that I’ve read Paul Levitz’s previous runs on Legion of Super-Heroes, but the story was steeped in LHS mythology. Computo was referenced, the sister of the Invisible Kid’s consequential incurable illness as a result of that same evil computer system, and most of all the resurrection of the Fatal Five.  But on top of that, Levitz makes the stories he writes very personal.  More so than most other books, he imbues so much humanity into the motivations and interactions of the Legionnaires.  Case in point, the issue was divided into two stories drawn by two different artists.  The former most story that involved the elements listed above was drawn by veteran LHS artist Steve Lightle.  The latter half involves Cosmic Boy, who puts the weight of the Universe on his shoulders, being whisked away by four of his colleagues to Istanbul to unwind.  What makes it all the more touching is that one of those Legionnaires is Brainiac 5, who out spocks Mr. Spock in his emotionlessness.  Yildiray Cinar, who helped Levitz relaunch the Legion in the 31st century, provides the art for this last segment.  Good stuff.
• Supergirl #8 was really good and is moving towards what I have been wanting for since issue #1.  Supergirl is becoming slowly acclimated to Earth.  She hasn’t learned the language yet, but she’s made a friend and starts wearing Earth clothes.  The issue itself is pretty well written by the Mikes (Green and Johnson) and stunningly illustrated by George Perez.  I’m a little pissed that this issue is the only one Perez is illustrating, because frankly his artwork is so appropriate to the title, and he has such a beautiful way of portraying young women like Kara and her new friend Siobhan along with the bohemian New York night scene.  In any event, it was beautiful issue in both scripting and artwork, and it introduced a classic Supergirl villain back into the DCU: Silver Banshee.
• Wonder Woman #8 has a real beauty to it.  I have read a lot of negative feedback on this series, last issue especially, and I do believe that there is credence to the detractions, but unlike last issue which offended a great many readers, this one was very straightforward.  Diana and Hermes descend into the underworld and once again Brian Azzarello depicts a very stylized, philosophic interpretation of Hades’ realm.  Series artist Cliff Chiang helps out a great deal in that respect with beautifully drawn panels of this new Underworld.  Despite the John Woo cover, the issue isn’t as gaudy as its advertised to be and twists the plot into a devil’s bargain only to be found in Greek mythology.  Hades remains one of my favorite characters in this new series.  His motivations are so ambiguous and he is just awesome no matter which light you choose view him in.
  

  Shot to the Heart. Hades to Blame . . .

• DC Universe Presents: Challengers of the Unknown #8 was something of a cop out.  I mean the story progresses and the villain is vanquished . . . sort of.  However, they don’t finish their journey, they don’t come to any understanding of the reason they were saved from death, just that their survival serves some transcendental purpose.  Didio and Ordway give us that “The End . . . For Now” crap without giving any modicum of conclusion.  That only works when you throw the reader some kind of bone.  Overall, I would be interested to read more if they deign to give us more, but I am unsatisfied with the three issue arc they gave us.  Why couldn’t this have been a five issue arc like Deadman so that they could do what was necessary  narratively?  Oh well. Ours not to ask why, just shell out three bucks once a month, right?
• Blue Beetle #8 ended very abruptly.  It had an entertaining plotline that explored both the villain and his past, but gave no conclusion to the whole affair.  I recognize that Blue Beetle has to take part in the crossover event over the next two months with Green Lantern: The New Guardians, but it seems like they could have offered a little closure on the matter, or at least writer Tony Bedard could have held off the crossover since he is also the writer of New Guardians. Maybe the intermission in this plot will bear fruit relevant to its postponed conclusion.  Either way, I’ll give it a thumbs up.
• Birds of Prey #8 as with the past several issues has become a chore.  The title’s not as good as it used to be pre-Reboot, as good as it could be.  I’ll still say that it has its entertainment value, but right now I am holding on for its place in the “Night of the Owls” crossover next month.  After that I am almost certainly dropping it as Travel Foreman, the artist whom I have been blaming my dislike of Animal Man on owing to his creepy, superlinear artwork, will be taking over Birds of Prey.  So next month will be a farewell to those lovely Bird of Gotham fame.
• Batman Beyond Unlimited #3 expands its reach and adds a third segment to the roster.  This month we welcome writer JT Krul and veteran JLA artist Howard Porter’s Superman Beyond segment.  What Krul does beautifully is illustrate a godlike figure of comic lore who has lived past his natural age and seen his friends and loved one die.  Now Superman is beginning to see the world he has known die alongside them, as he himself begins to enter into obsolescence.  However, with all his battles seemingly won and in the past, JT Krul introduces an intriguing development that has been lying dormant until the events of this issue.  A truly stunning story.  Adam Beechen and Norm Breyfogle continue the “Mad Stan” storyline to its penultimate chapter in Batman Beyond, and while very short, forward three very compelling stories of the three young leads: Batman’s prevention of Mad Stan haphazardly blowing Gotham to kingdom come, Dana’s brother tying into the cabal of Jokerz flooding into Gotham on holy pilgrimage, and Max’s attempt to confess to her part in the cyber-terrorist attack on Gotham’s power grid.  Incredible storytelling that has me psyched for next months conclusion to the first of these dilemmas and the continuance of the other two.  And last, but most certainly not least, Nguyen and Fridolfs’ Justice League Beyond Unlimited packed a wallop of comic and television inspired excellence.  The Queen of Kobra is revealed as is her plan that the Kobra agents have been working towards in the past two issues.  The plot itself is stunning, but even more so because of the incredible intricacy of the references and allusions to the television shows that inspired it, as well as those from the DCU at large.  The Challengers of the Unknown, as seen last in the previous review above, are referenced and play their part in the doom of mankind, as does Lex Luthor, dead though he may be.  Iconic covers the Jack Kirby series Kamandi the Last Boy on Earth, Forever People, and OMAC are modified and presented to portray the enormity of the threat Kobra intends on not just Earth or the Universe, but seemingly the Multiverse.   This issue blew my socks off. I was expecting it to be good, but I wasn’t prepared for just how good.
  

  The Times They Are A-Changing . . ,

• T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents #6 concludes the series in the most fitting manner possible.  I didn’t realize that the first page of the first issue of the first volume DC put out took place after the whole run of Spencer’s was concluded.  I also like that although Wes Craig took over art for the book from Cafu, the latter artist came back to do the flashback sequences that he was responsible for in the first run.  Reading T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents has been a pleasure and I am saddened by the thought that there may never be another series after this one, and certainly not one as well crafted and well researched as Nick Spencer’s run.  However, he did leave a pinhole opening at the end of the main sequence for a continuation by someone else.  However, my money is betting that there won’t be any more adventures for the Agents of The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserve for many, many years.  So thank you to Nick Spencer and his army of artists who made this series legendary.
• Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #2 is getting better.  I wasn’t as certain while reading the first issue and now after this second issue, I am starting to feel the beauty of the Voodoo culture as well as the rhythm of Selwyn Hinds’ script.  There is a really intriguing amalgam of modern day elements with old school Afro-Caribbean mythology that baselines the series and makes for a very Machiavellian struggle for power in the space between magic and realpolitik that apparently has been governing New Orleans for centuries.  I’m liking it a lot and I have to also give credit to Denys Cowan, whose stark, line-y artwork really adds a gothic character to the series.
• The Shadow #1 is Dynamite Entertainment’s newest addition to their pulp noir line of books.  I have to say that I have been anticipating this book ever since it was announced, because I was a huge fan of the old radio show when I was a kid.  No I’m not that old, but I enjoyed listening to old radio shows on audio cassette (yes, I am that old) when on long car rides.  Anyhow, I love the “Shadow” and his genial alter ego, Lamont Cranston, the “wealthy man about town.”   To pen this new series Dynamite tapped Garth Ennis, renowned for his edgy storytelling.  I think he did a good job, but I am concerned that he might have made it too edgy.  This is the first issue so I may be making a leap in judgement.  Despite this sneaking suspicion the issue itself was great.  Aaron Campbell who provided artwork for Dynamite’s Green Hornet: Year One, provides equally stunning work in this series.  The basic plot takes us to the early 30’s with Japan invading China and agents of the expansionist empire turning up in New York, the Shadow’s playground.  Needless to say, the Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of these men . . .

And that’s the thirty-third week of my reviews.  Hope you enjoyed as much as I did.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of these images and give credit to those whose work they are.

Illustration Credits:

Batman #8: Art by Rafael Albuquerque, Colored by Nathan Fairbairn

Red Hood and the Outlaws #8: Art by Kenneth Rocafort, Colored by Blond

Wonder Woman #8: Art by Cliff Chiang, Colored by Matthew Wilson

Batman Beyond Unlimited #3: Drawn by Dustin Nguyen, Colored by Randy Major, Inked by Derek Fridolfs

Week 29 (March 21, 2012)

• Batman #7 was INCREDIBLE!!!  Writer Scott Snyder is swiftly rising through the ranks of my favorite writers.  This first run of Batman
  

  Foreshadowing?

  will surely be what cements him as a supporting pillar in the future of comics as a viable entertainment medium.  Not only does this issue explain a burning question that goes back half a year to issue #2, it also explains and validates the events of the first issue, which if anybody remembers, I panned pretty bad.  (I have shamed myself greatly.)  I feel that the revelations of this book and the personal sentiments put forth by both Bruce and Dick show a pinpoint turn in the tone from that first issue.  So much of what Snyder tells us here genuinely game changes EVERYTHING you know about Batman throughout his entire published history.  Yet, these changes seem natural and almost like they have always been there,  just like the fabled Court he now finds himself assailed by.  If you only buy one comic this week, make it Batman #7.  You’ll be glad you did.

• Justice League #7 was TERRIBLE!!!  You may ask yourself why I even bother.  I don’t know.  I’m feeling like I’m being blackmailed with Pandora, the resolution to the Darkseid’s daughter revelation, and the new SHAZAM back up feature.  So why was it so bad?  Okay . . . There was no real threat in this one.  The premise was ridiculous.  They did some good characterization of Steve Trevor . . . sort of.  They drove home that the world thinks the Justice League are awesome, but all Geoff Johns really accomplished was making them seem like a pack of fratboys and prima donnas.  I think the real problem with the genius of Geoff Johns working on this title, and a sign of perhaps he only weakness (again this is just a theory): he is sooo good at homing in on the innate qualities and tones of his subjects and attuning the books to those qualities that when it comes to ensemble books like this where those disparate characters are thrown together, he freaks out and just turns them into caricatures of themselves.  Green Lantern basically is eleven years old in this.  He has no semblance of ever having to make any competent decisions, which at his core he has always been able to do.  Flash, one of the smartest men alive, is just moronic in this series.  Batman is Batman. On this point I am neutral.  I didn’t mind Wonder Woman as much, but also didn’t care for her much either.  Just bush league comic writing.  And the aforementioned SHAZAM backup?  Even worse!  I love Gary Frank’s artwork.  He’s awesome.  However, on the writing side Johns’ introduction of Billy Batson, who is supposed to be a ‘Little Orphan Annie’-esque forsaken child with a heart of gold was disgusting.  He completely missed the mark on this one. The point of Billy and Captain Marvel is that both represent an idealism and unshakable belief that the world is good and that good can overcome evil with determination and virtue.  Johns has opted to make him into a two-faced, sniveling little brat.  I feel bad that I even had to think this, but when I read this version of Billy, I felt he should be moved from the orphanage to an animal shelter, so euthanasia would become an option.   Taking a step back from personalizing it on just Billy, I think perhaps this backup feature should be euthanized.  Just a thought.
• Nightwing #7 was exceptional and didn’t let down after reading its brother book, Batman.  Since issue one, we’ve seen Saiko run rampage through Dick’s life, both personal and professional.  We’ve seen his connection to Dick’s past and the twisted web he has woven in Dick’s present.  The dominoes have been set and this issue drops a bomb, literally and metaphorically.   The full truth of Saiko’s psychosis is laid bare and the the truth of his hatred of Dick explained.  At that moment, my hair stood on end and I had to suppress a giddy squeal of dorkish delight.  Like Scott Snyder, Nightwing writer Kyle Higgins gets it.  He clearly understands the character and what makes a good Dick Grayson story, finishing this arc beautifully and sticking a 10 point landing.
• Green Lantern Corps #7 was an interim issue.  I liked it much more than the past two issues.  It advanced the stories thus far and really focused in on John Stewart.  John did a very extreme thing and this issue really shows how he’s dealing with that.  He says he’s not ashamed of what he did and  that he would do it again, and yet he has failed to admit to it and lied about what actually happened.  He explains it away, but Tomasi does a wonderful job of making even that seem questionable.  John is a guy that has destroyed planets and taken countless lives, and his reaction to events like this are very poignant, because he isn’t an amoral person.  Far from it.  Definitely a well written, thought provoking issue.
• Batman Beyond Unlimited #2 kept the momentum going and the story evolving.  The inaugural issue last month set the hook for larger plot points in Batman Beyond as well as reintroducing those left unresolved from the pre-Reboot series.  This issue skirts all of those, introducing a new focal point for a two part arc, showing us that the larger points are going to be simmering for awhile, stringing us along for the ride.  I for one am sitting back and taking in the sights.  Writer Adam Beechen knows the TV series in and out and is reintroducing characters and premises from it along with fan favorite elements from the main Batman continuity going on currently.  The plot is rich as New York cheesecake, and as with last issue, supplemented by the wonderful artwork of 90’s Batman alum, Norm Breyfogle.  In the Justice League Beyond segment writer/artists Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs do the same as their opposite number in the first segment, bringing in all manner of cool material from the series as well as material from the larger DCU.  The issue begins on the island that in the coming months will play host to the series The War That Time Forgot, and references Mayor Luthor, as well as many others.  Following up on the reintroduction of one of my favorite villainous organizations, Kobra, this issue adds great mystique to the plot, while exploring one of the shocking developments from last issue.  The story from the dynamic duo of Nguyen and Fridolfs is equally only by their incredible art.  This is one of my favorite series, no question.  Basically my adolescence in a $4 comic book.
• Legion of Super-Heroes #7 finished off the China expedition, in what I thought was a slightly anti-climatic fashion, but in classic Legion style revolved on several other plots circulating throughout, not least of which is the Dominators counter move to the Legionnaires’ foiling of their invasion of the United Planets.  Take it from me, the implications proposed by the Dominators have incredible potential.  Also a familiar character turned new Legionnaire makes her first appearance as a member of the team.  Master scribe, Paul Levitz, writing, Francis Portela illustrating, there is nothing else that needs to be said.
• DC Presents: Challengers of the Unknown #7 was a decent book.  In my opinion it seems a bit rushed.  They are blowing through the plot and not really giving any gravitas to what is happening and or explaining why we should be invested in the characters.  There is a lot of potential in what they are doing.  They begin the issue with the summoning of a rival deity to the reverend Rama Kushna, ancient edifices are opening up heralding prophesies revealing themselves.  There is so much they can do and they aren’t taking the time to do it.  The previous Deadman arc took five issues and really got down to the meat of the story of Deadman.  This series is trying to do in three issues what that series did in five.  I anticipate the next month’s conclusion, but expect to be left with unanswered questions.
• Supergirl #7 is getting there.  This story topically worked, wrapping up this second arc featuring a threat linked to the last days of Krypton, an apocalyptic proving ground, and Kara rising to the challenge.  It was a good stepping stone, but to me at least, it didn’t suck the reader in.  I do feel that its moving in the direction of getting Kara in a position to start a human life on Earth like her cousin Clark has done.
• Catwoman #7 was slightly lackluster as well.  She stole some things, but overall it was kind of feeling like deja vu.  Selina has a new fence that is calling her on her bad behavior, which is a good start in switching things up. Det. Alvarez is starting to get more aggressive in his hunting for Catwoman.  Judd Winick is progressing the story, but this one didn’t blow my skirts up.  I will say that  until I looked at the splash page, I didn’t know that the artist had changed.  Guillem March has left, at least for this issue, and is replaced by the very similar, luscious work of Adriana Melo.  I thought March’s pencils were very unique when I first saw them.  He’s got company, because Melo is equally as evocative with her lines.  This part was a delight to look at.  Also, to whomever called this series a “chauvanistic male fantasy” when it first came out, I would advise them to check out the manties on the dude on page two.
• Red Hood and the Outlaws #7was a revelation.  I have been enjoying the series since it came out and writer Scott Lobdell has taken the psychopathic ex-Robin in a very interesting direction, entangling him in a web of supernatural/metaphysical intrigue.  Apropos, this issue deals with him confronting an old acquaintance/lover from his days training with the All-Caste, who reveals the history of the war between the All-Caste and the Untitled.  This part of the plot is entrancing, but even more so because of how Scott Lobdell portrays it’s effects on Jason Todd and how he chooses to respond to the revelations.  There is a reason Jason was brought back from the dead and Lobdell makes brilliant use of it.  Kenneth Rocafort once again provides gorgeous art that accentuates the plot and draws the reader from panel to panel completely independent of the writing which itself is stunning.
  

  The Untitled Birth

• Wonder Woman #7 is a continuing climb to greatness.  I really am enjoying the direction that Brian Azzarello is taking Diana.  He is reaffirming her Greek origins and the aspects of her that are excellent, while at the same time also holding on to some her lesser qualities, but having her address them rather than fall into them blindly.   On the part of the series’ mythological roots, nothing is more discordant in Greek mythology than the interactions and personal lives of the gods.  This series utilizes this facet expertly, making it a modern day soap opera of petulant, bored, and shortsighted  deities.  Diana knows this and uses it to her advantage to try and do good and help people.  However, as I stated before, she has often been portrayed as a very impulsive, sometimes quick tempered person.  In this she learns the fate of male Amazons and in her hastiness to adjudicate the issue, is shown how her rash behavior is counter-intuitive to her goals.  I like this, because it makes her character feel genuine, yet adds a culpability that many times she lacks.  This issue also features the return of series artist, Cliff Chiang.  I am happy too see his return as I love his work, but am saddened too, because Tony Akins’ art was beginning to grow on me.  It does look like Akins will be back later to do a few issues, which is welcome news.  On the whole, this series is a road map to a better, brighter Wonder Woman.
• Blue Beetle #7 was a good first issue in the new arc which finds Jaime running away to New York to find a metahuman to advise him on his new life.  What he finds in the Big Apple is interesting, but I am reserving judgement until I read further in.   Series artist Ig Guara is replaced by Marcio Takara and his artwork is a little better in my humble opinion.  Its a good issue, but I am still geeked for the crossover with Green Lantern: New Guardians in the ninth issue, with the invasion of Odym by the Reach.
• T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents #5 reached its penultimate chapter in this new DC iteration.  This series is hard to peg and I like that.  Things I thought were going to be hugely terrible are actually rather incredible and other things I thought benign are actually very apocalyptic.  However you decide to view it, this series is playing for keeps.  There is an end in sight.  Nick Spencer has taken everything that all the original series from the 60’s onward have been about and worked towards and zeroes in on a logical, inescapable conclusion.  Just reading this issue gave me goosebumps.  If you aren’t in the T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents already I would suggest getting the first trade paperback and waiting for the second series to come out in graphic novel so you can experience the whole thing in one long, continuous stretch of epic storytelling.  I said that the story is coming to a seemingly finite ending, but there was a backup story in this issue, written by Michael Uslan, which seems very “situation normal”, making is seem almost that the series could go on.  Perhaps that’s indicative of how covert the things happening in the main series are, but it does leave me with hope that the T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents might go on even after the wrap up of next issue.  Perchance to dream.
• Silver Star #4 was outstanding, taking a very roundabout way of fleshing out the character of Silver Star.  I have praised its brother series in the “Kirby Genesis” line, Captain Victory, for really hammering in why its eponymous hero matters.  Sterling Gates has done a phenomenal job in that series doing that in a conversational, yet succinct way.  In this issue of Silver Star writer Jai Nitz does precisely that with his equally eponymous charge.  At the end of last issue, Morgan Miller aka Silver Star, who has been made to be indestructible, is hit with a folded-entropy weapon which for all intents and purposes removes him from reality.  The only person who can save him now is Tracy Coleman, his childhood friend who exists outside of space and time.  Emerging from her protective pocket dimensional sarcophagus, she emerges on a world where nearly everyone on the planet is a superhero, and seeking out Morgan comes to certain realizations about why a world full of Silver Star-like people, but no actual Silver Star is an imperfect world, contrary to appearances.  Just a damn good issue that doubles my love of the incredible Kirby creation.
  

  A World Without Silver Star

• Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #1 was one that rife with possibilities and I enjoyed it.  I think that depending on what writer Selwyn Seyfu Hinds does in upcoming issues this could be a new Air, or Unwritten.  I am excited at the possibilities.  The cliffsnoted premise is that of the supernatural forces in New Orleans, werewolves, vampires, undead, etc, being ruled over by a mid-19th century Voodoo queen named Dominique Laveau.  In the modern era her descendant has the same name and, unbeknownst to her, a link to that destiny of her forebearer.  It had a chaotic first issue, but all the pieces of an incredible series are there.  I would suggest people read it, as it could be the first step towards a series that will innovate the Vertigo imprint.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of these images and give credit to those whose work they are.

Illustration Credits:

Batman  #7: Drawn by Greg Capullo, Colored by FCO, Inked by Jonathan Glapion

DC Universe Presents #7: Drawn by Jerry Ordway, Colored by Tony Avina, Inked by Ray McCarthy

Red Hood and the Outlaws #7: Art by Kenneth Rocafort, Colored by Blond

Silver Star #4: Art by Johnny Desjardins, Colored by Vinicius Andrade

Week 24 (February 15, 2012)

• Batman #6 maintains the phenomenon that the five previous issues have generated.  Batman is in the inner sanctum (could one call it the ‘Nest’?) of the Court of Owls and picking up from the shocking last panel of issue #5, things are,  needless to say, very
  

  SPOILER: This ISN'T Real . . .

  grim.  However, in classic Batman style there is a pin prick of hope as he rallies.  When reading toward the crux of this issue, and perhaps the turning point of this arc, I couldn’t help but hear Morgan Freeman from The Dark Knight movie saying, “Now that’s more like it, Mr. Wayne.”   A jaw dropping issue.  What I also think lent a great deal to the awe it generated was the dreamlike quality.  I mentioned in my review of the fifth issue that Batman has been in the underground labyrinth so long he has begun to lose touch with reality.  That continues over, but the reader never leaves his perspective, so as events unfold what is real and what is skewed through his sleep deprivation and drug induced mania is indiscernible.  That said, though the owls are revealed in this issue, its still pretty murky as to what they truly are like.  Its skillfully done by writer, Scott Snyder, giving the audience disclosure that in fact raises more questions than it answers.  I am champing at the bit to read the next installment, but take heart that in May every book that is tied to Batman in any way will be a “Night of the Owls” crossover.  Even All-Star Westerns!!!

• Catwoman #6 started off in a daze, like it was just going through the motions, and perhaps it was, but like the somnambulant Batman in the above review, rallied at the end into some very pointed storytelling.  Though it begins with Selina reaping (yet again) the fruits of her fuck-ups, and portraying her no holds barred style, the interpretation of these events at the end are quite poignant.  Batman voices the concerns of the reader as to how stupid can she really be to act in the manner she does with the low level of regard that she does, and her answers to his questions are QUITE telling.  From this issue on, all the cards are 0n the table as to who Selina is and what we can expect.
• DC Universe Presents #6 features the start of a brand new arc featuring The Challengers of the Unknown.  Admittedly, I am not an expert on this group (Give me time . . .).  From what I do know, writers Dan Didio and Jerry Ordway take the story in a very different direction from the original.  The changes, like those instituted in this arc’s predecessor Deadman’s plot, make the concept fresh, albeit bizarre.  Also linking it to Deadman is the formal introduction of Nanda Parbat, the Shangri-la based lost city of the Himalayas dedicated to the worship of Rama Kushna.  As an introductory issue, it was very slow paced, with only a few enticing scenes.  I’m going to ride it out to see what all is going on and how the differences play out, but think that this is hardly the proper way to set the hook in a reader that is not as versed in the story as I am, which admittedly isn’t very much.
• Green Lantern Corps #6 was lackluster.  In and of itself, it was just ok.  Following up the material from previous months, and considering what writer Peter Tomasi is capable of, it was a fail.   I will carry over my objections from last months review that the idea of the rogue group of Green Lanterns using Earth guns to combat the Keepers is moronic.  It does nothing but degrade the ambiance and integrity of the book.  If Tomasi wants to play with guns, he should do it Batman & Robin where that sort of thing belongs.  This wrapped up the “Keepers” arc so hopefully we can bury this turd in the yard, move on to something better, and forget that this ever happened.
  

  The Keepers Scheme Revealed

• Legion of Super-Heroes #6 starts us fresh on a new arc after last months interim issue.  Series artist, Francis Portella makes his return (Welcome back.), and consequently the issue  looks stunning.  Paul Levitz takes two teams to China of the 31st century, spotlighting Chemical Kid’s tutelage under Element Lad and Dragonwing’s homecoming.  Also dealt with in the background is the aftermath of the Dominators’ failed invasion and what comes next.  Paul Levitz has been hailed as a comic genius and one of the hallmarks is his ability to juggle plotlines in a way that is captivating and natural rather than cluttered.  In a lot of ways, when reading this new run, its hard to tell that he ever left the book in the first place.  Such is the grace of his talent.
• Nightwing #6 is coming down to the wire . . . and not just a trapeze wire.  This issue features the return of Haly’s Circus to Gotham, and of all nights on the anniversary of John and Mary Grayson’s tragic deaths and Dick Grayson’s inception into the destiny he has grown into, prompting this title.  Tensions are running high, and the villainous “Saiko” has his plan set in motion like a well placed set of dominoes.  This is the end game, and the explosive ending of this issue is rife with anticipation for the next issue.
• Red Hood and the Outlaws #6 is a prequel issue this month.  The very first issue of the series has Jason Todd and Starfire breaking Roy Harper
  

  Boy Meets Alien Girl

  out of a Quraci prison, rounding out the gang, but this issue answers the question of how Jason and Starfire first hooked up.  Not to give anything away, but I used “hooked up” on purpose for the multiple meanings it can evoke.  Focus on that however you want.  Jason has up until now been quite aloof and often less than complimentary toward Princess Koriand’r’s bubbly personality, so this issue is very interesting, and very important I’m sure to future stories.  There is actually quite a wellspring of emotion buried in their history.  Knowing Scott Lobdell, this well will be pumped in future storytelling.  Again, make what you want of the word “pump.”

• Supergirl #6 gave some good exposition of the past and defined the present pretty good, but overall my skirts weren’t blown up.  I will give the Mikes credit for really establishing Kara’s past and how that has molded her into the young woman she is now, but their current story is kind of so-so in how they have presented it.  I have hope that they can establish something good at the end of this tunnel.  This is worth giving a look, but my thumbs up lacks enthusiasm.
• Wonder Woman #6 was thoroughly entertaining this week.  Its really hard to know whether to call this the end of an arc, because one of the initial conflicts wrapped this week, but was prolonged by a newer development from last issue’s plot.   Either way, this story is very complex and heavily steeped in Greek mythology, as any good Wonder Woman series should be firmly rooted.  I won’t say this series is my favorite, but it is establishing a status quo that is very appropriate.  Also, new series artist Tony Akins’ designs are phenomenal.  Issue #5 introduced Poseidon as a phosine behemoth, and this one introduces Lord Hades in a very interesting visage.  With all these elements, it is beginning to pick up some steam.
  

  Enter Lord Hades

• Birds of Prey #6 was slightly better, but not by much.  The premise of a hidden mastermind wielding an army of sleeper agents is sound and rife with possibilities, but the characters are mismanaged I think.  Again, they really aren’t “Birds” of Prey as there are only two bird themed characters (Black Canary and Starling), and of those two one is completely laughable as a character (Starling).  The stories might level out, but again I’m waiting out the arc’s endpoint.
• Blue Beetle #6  is growing on me.  The villainous alien horde, the Reach, have seemed infallible with the deployment of their parasitic scarabs, but this issue pokes a hole through that premise and shows the strength of the human spirit against the scarabs, but especially this issue showed how incredible the character of Jaime Reyes is.  Jaime isn’t a tough guy, he’s  not a popular kid, he’s not even super smart.  He’s just a regular kid, so his trials and tribulations are that much more resonant with the demographic reading this title.  It didn’t start out the best, but I truly think that this series is going places.
• My Greatest Adventure #5 continues in the same trend that the past several have.  Matt Kindt’s “Robotman” was a trippy take on the character, much in the style of Grant Morrison’s run on The Doom Patrol in the 90’s.  Like a lot of Morrison’s less inhibited work, this one still have me pondering what I think about it.  I think I like it, but can’t be certain.  Scott Kolins does a very expert job illustrating it, and in several aspects affects a Kirby-esque style.  Aaron Lopresti’s “Garbage Man” storyline continues to be my favorite of the three.  This is surprising as the premise sounds laughable, but that is just a testament to Lopresti’s skills as a storyteller.  The series is very compelling and has me itching for the last chapter, which seems to promise resolution to the story that was started last year in the six part anthology book Weird Worlds.  Also hailing from the pages of Weird Worlds is “Tanga.”  This segment is entertaining.  I’ll say that much.  The variety of the three stories is what makes the series so interesting.
• Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #10  finishes out the “Pirate Princess of Mars” story arc and was decent.  This book was slightly weak as its premise detracts from the grandeur of the main series.  Dejah Thoris being exposed to Black Martians before the events of the concurrent Warlord of Mars storyline, which takes place many years later after the advent of John Carter to Mars, cheapens this storyline, despite the interesting events it might depict.  Its fun when you can take it by itself, but I guess I am a purist.  As both this series and the main series are penned by Arvid Nelson, I suppose I can give him some latitude, but this still irks me a little bit.  I am interested in the little blurb that appears at the end of the issue about his next arc, entitled “The Boora Witch.”  I greatly anticipate this story and pray that it is less strewn with anachronisms.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of these images and give credit to those whose work they are.

Illustration Credits:

Batman  #6: Drawned by Greg Capullo, Colored by FCO, Inked by Jonathan Glapion

Green Lantern Corps #6: Drawned by Fernando Pasarin, Colored by Gabe Eltaeb, Inked by Scott Hanna

Wonder Woman #6: Drawned by Patrick GleasonTony Akins, Colored by Matthew Wilson, Inked by Dan Green & Tony Akins

Red Hood and the Outlaws #6: Drawn by Kenneth Rocafort, Colored by Blond